Latest news and stories about aviation in infrastructure in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Following the approval of Lufthansa's 1.2 billion euro bid for a 49.9% stake in TAP, the Portuguese government has requested an accelerated review by Brussels' DG-Comp, though full completion is not expected until early 2028.
The government has issued a formal warning to ANA regarding outdated passenger forecasts for the new airport, expressing concerns that the infrastructure will be undersized upon completion.
Data reveals that less than 18% of flights operating during the restricted midnight to 6:00 AM window at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport between 2023 and 2025 met the required 'force majeure' criteria.
Lisbon airport failed to meet 12% of summer slot requests, with officials warning that infrastructure constraints are negatively impacting the national tourism sector.
TAP Air Portugal has launched a new flight route between Lisbon and São Luís, the capital of Maranhão in Northeast Brazil, operating twice weekly. The service, which began on Monday, October 26, expands the Portuguese airline's presence in Brazil and improves access for European passengers to tourist destinations like the Lençóis Maranhenses. The flights operate using Airbus A321LR aircraft. This expansion coincides with the opening of the Vila Galé Collection Ópera São Luís, the first hotel from the Portuguese chain in the city. With this new route, TAP now connects 15 Brazilian cities to Portugal across 17 different routes. Demand for the new TAP routes to Brazil is reportedly meeting expectations following the company's recent privatisation.
TAP resumes flights this Tuesday, October 27, between Lisbon and Caracas, the capitals of Portugal and Venezuela. The airline will now have two connections per week. Flights will operate on Tuesdays and Sundays and are intended to connect Portugal to the community of Portuguese emigrants (and their descendants) in Venezuela. The connections were suspended following two earthquakes that struck the Venezuelan territory on June 24. For round-trip flights, prices start at 669 euros, with all taxes included. Earthquakes in Venezuela: number of Portuguese and Luso-descendants dead rises to 107. Complaints against TAP fall by 24%, but complaints about customer service soar. The government expects to have the conditions to launch a public offering of 5% of TAP's capital reserved for workers in January.
The Portuguese Air Navigation service provider is allocating 5.4 million euros for the construction of a new air traffic control tower at Cascais Aerodrome.
An investment of over 8 million euros has brought the new Cascais Airfield control tower to life, as the number of flights has soared in recent years to 100 movements per day. Private jet flights have doubled to 2,500.
The noise problem caused by planes taking off towards the north from Lisbon International Airport affects more than 200,000 inhabitants in the municipalities of Lisbon, Loures, and Vila Franca.
The Minister of Infrastructure states that the new Lisbon airport was “essential” in negotiations with the German Lufthansa group, with whom an agreement was reached for the acquisition of 49.9% of TAP for 1.201 billion euros, and therefore issued warnings to Vinci, owner of ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, that the works for the...
Lufthansa intends to redirect some of its passengers currently travelling to Brazil via Frankfurt, Munich, and Zurich to fly via Lisbon instead. The plan was presented to analysts during a conference call this Thursday, one day after the Portuguese government selected the German group's proposal for the privatisation of TAP.
In the future, routing them through Lisbon will be an element that creates much more value in our network strategy, admits the chief executive of the German group
Azul Linhas Aéreas is focused on the Portuguese market, aiming to increase travel for Brazilians visiting Europe and expatriates returning home. The airline, which has transported 2.5 million passengers between the two countries in ten years, plans to transition fully to its own aircraft for these routes while enhancing customer services, including a partnership with Delta Cafés.
The state will hold five of the nine members of the TAP Board of Directors.
Lufthansa's proposal for the privatisation of TAP meets the strategic and critical conditions required by the Portuguese government, confirmed Minister of Infrastructure Miguel Pinto Luz. The agreement guarantees territorial connectivity with the islands and the Lusophone world, the preservation of the TAP brand, and the hub in Lisbon. The proposal includes a fleet expansion, significant investment in maintenance operations, and creates new employment opportunities in sectors such as pilot training and innovation. The state will retain a 50.1% majority stake in the first phase, with the potential for full privatisation by 2028.
